Community activist, environmentalist and, latterly, Salford councillor, Harry Davies, has lost his long running fight against cancer. Harry was incredibly well known and respected in Salford, from fighting fracking at Barton Moss, to warning of the Boxing Day flood and helping people to stand up for their rights. He will be sadly missed in the community.

Almost everyone in the Kersal, Lower Kersal and Charlestown community will have known Harry Davies at some point. Working for Helping Hands, he supported elderly and vulnerable people in his day job, while involved with numerous causes and campaigns in his personal life.

Incredibly well respected, Harry's passion was environmental issues, from joining anti-fracking campaigners at Barton Moss, to helping Friends of Kersal Moor and Kersal Dale, to bee-keeping on the Lower Kersal Allotments and starring in the related film Up On The Roof.

He was elected as the Labour Party Kersal councillor in 2015, and last Christmas was instrumental in warning the community of the impending Boxing Day flood, having been out with his dog gauging the levels of the River Irwell, which he knew like the back of his hand.

Harry was also passionate about local history and, with his usual humour, related many tales about the old Agecroft colliery as part of the Irwell Valley Mining Project oral histories sessions, recalling how the local pigeons had black feet from the slackheaps, and his small part in the miners' strike of 1984...

"I was in The Racecourse pub one night, a minibus pulled up in the car park and these guys from Yorkshire got out" he recalled "They were pickets come to Agecroft and went for a drink…The police had followed them and outside there was a police van and an unmarked police car parked there. The pickets asked us to show them a way that wasn't on the road..."

Harry took them via the banks of the Irwell, over railings, via the railway, to a back entrance of the pit, while the police waited in vain in the car park of The Racecourse to head off the flying pickets.

Harry said he was desperate to get a job at Agecroft after a school visit down the mine with the Irwell Valley High School. He couldn't get near as it was a closed shop. But Agecroft's loss was the community's gain.

Harry Davies will be sorely missed in the community.

Simon Fox wroteat 2:47:26 PM on Monday, November 28, 2016

Good man.

Lee Craven MBE wroteat 11:40:14 AM on Monday, November 28, 2016

Salford has lost one of the best.... councilliorr Harry Davies,for many years he was devoted to Kersal area and the wider community of Salford, Rest in Peace,and Thank You for all your community work.

Alice wroteat 7:50:53 AM on Monday, November 28, 2016

I knew Harry as a friend with common interests in the environment with a love for Kersal Moor and Kersal Dale and also an interest in local history. We chatted about the community and the environment at the East Salford Community Committee and he introduced my son and partner to bee keeping. He was a great help to me when organising the Agecroft Memorial event. In January the Friends of Kersal Moor will be holding an evening meeting to show the film 'Buzzing on the Roof' which shows Harry in all his enthusiasm and cheerfulness. That evening showing will be dedicated to Harry. The time and date will be announced in the Star.

life is loud wroteat 7:50:50 AM on Monday, November 28, 2016

I have not heard of him but what an amazing man a true inspiration

Louise Crossley wroteat 7:50:46 AM on Monday, November 28, 2016

RIP Harry, a lovely man who bravely battled his illness. Will be sorely missed on the allotments. Our sincere condolences to his family.